Resting Buffalo 1906

Wilhelm Kuhnert's 'Resting Buffalo' is a scene rendered in strokes of muted greens, browns, and grays. The way Kuhnert laid down the paint is so direct, so intuitive, I can almost feel the brush in my own hand, see the painting emerge through trial, error, and a deep sensitivity to the animal. I wonder, what was he thinking as he painted? Did he feel the weight of the buffalo's body in the strokes of his brush? The texture is pretty smooth with thinnish paint. Look closely and you can see how Kuhnert uses these muted tones to create a sense of depth and space, the buffalo heavy on the ground. The painting feels very intentional. The way he captures the weight and stillness of the animal – it’s a powerful feeling. Painters are always in dialogue, conversing across generations and geographies. Kuhnert’s work reminds me of other painters who observe animals in their natural environment, each one contributing to our understanding of the world, one brushstroke at a time. And painting, at its best, is about embracing the ambiguity and uncertainty of life.